The F-16 MLU fighter jets of the Chilean Air Force (FACH) conducted joint exercises with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington of the United States Navy (US Navy) and its embarked wing’s F/A-18 Super Hornets. As detailed by the Chilean military institution, the aircraft belong to and were deployed from the V Air Brigade to participate in the combined operations encompassed within the Blue Sky 2024 Exercise off the coast of the city of Antofagasta.
The United States Southern Command announced last April that the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, as part of its Southern Seas 2024 deployment along with other vessels such as the destroyer USS Porter and the logistics ship USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189), would carry out various naval exercises with “partner” countries in the region, including Chile. Prior to its arrival in Chilean territorial waters, the U.S. Navy ships completed combined PASSEX exercises with the Navies of Argentina and Brazil at the end of May.
The objective of the Blue Sky 2024 exercise is to conduct maneuvers and aerial missions to increase “the operational readiness of the crews with international assets.” Additionally, it aims to strengthen cooperation and trust between the FACH and the U.S. Navy through the planning, conduct, and execution of offensive and defensive air operations under NATO procedures.
It should be noted that in Blue Sky 2024, not only do the F-16 MLU and the Bell-412 helicopter belonging to Aviation Group No. 7 and No. 8 of the V Air Brigade of the FACH operate, but also the F-18 Super Hornet, E-2C Hawkeye, and F-35 of the United States.
“This week, we conducted training with the aerial assets carried by the George Washington aircraft carrier of the United States. For us, it has been a tremendous experience from the planning process to the execution of operations,” said the Commander-in-Chief of the V Air Brigade, Brigadier General (A) Humberto Fernández Pittari. He added, “It is always very positive to have the opportunity to interoperate with these types of aircraft, as it involves acquiring new knowledge and also allows us to put into practice what we train daily.”
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